What next? How do we build a better America?

[BrightShinyGirl]

Assuming that Donald Trump is prevented from seizing power, what should our top priorities be as a nation?

As evidenced from some of my other posts on this board, there are two things I think would immediately make America a much better place:

1. Legalize abortion
2. Build a national high-speed rail network

Use this thread to say what you think America should do after we don't have to spend all our energy fighting Donald Trump. Please keep it positive. Don't worry about politics. This is an aspirational wish list.

 

[John_von_Neumann]

First priority: De-MAGA-fication.

 

[RoryN]

Comprehensive gun control.
Proper taxation for corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
Prescription drug cost reform.
Legalized pot nationwide.
End tax loopholes and bank strangleholds on housing.
Congress doesn't get paid if job isn't done, and must abide by its own rules.
Term limits for SCOTUS.
End Daylight Savings Time.

 

[stxjimmy]

The happier nations on this earth aren’t the ones with such disparity of income and access to power.

 

[DeluxAuto]

I truly believe that we can update the Constitution from the horse and buggy with muskets era with a logical approach. This will still hold our core values as a Nation while fixing the glaring issues of trying to abide by an ancient scroll.

 

[Saint_Ann]

The best thing to do for the country is abortion? And you want to be in charge? Holy fuck.

 

[John_von_Neumann]

The best thing to do for the country is abortion? And you want to be in charge? Holy fuck.

Most women care about their bodily autonomy. That's not something I'd expect you to understand, Ken.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Belief in access to abortion doesn’t make one want to be in charge. You must do better

Do you seriously think abortion is the most important issue?

 

[stxjimmy]

Do you seriously think abortion is the most important issue?

I think abortion is best left to those affected directly, and that for many it is a very important issue

 

[Saint_Ann]

I think abortion is best left to those affected directly, and that for many it is a very important issue

Blah, blah, blah.

 

[RoryN]

The person who is triggered harder than any other Lit member every time abortion is mentioned on this forum - and has over 100 posts about the topic under one screenname alone - is asking if abortion is really the most important issue.

 

[adrina]

Comprehensive gun control.
Proper taxation for corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
Prescription drug cost reform.
Legalized pot nationwide.
End tax loopholes and bank strangleholds on housing.
Congress doesn't get paid if job isn't done, and must abide by its own rules.
Term limits for SCOTUS.
End Daylight Savings Time.

+ codify Roe.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Yes I realise you have nothing positive to offer

Oh please. You speak in platitudes.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Better than no beliefs in morals
It often occurs to me that being stuck in a lift with you and chernosoth would be a horrible fate, you both never have anything good or interesting to say

Someone has a bug up their butt.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Wrong again, just observant and aware of how you like to carp

Huh. We've interacted before? I sure don't remember it.

 

[Lazaran]

Do you seriously think abortion is the most important issue?

Saint_Ann syndrome rears its ugly battered head…again…



Also:

Abortion access is a matter of life and death, and the signing into law of guaranteed access to reproductive health services (Roe) would allow the country to focus on other issues.

Once the contentious issue of abortion is removed from the queue, other issues should be able to be resolved more expeditiously.

My issues, after Roe is codified into law, would be - in order:

Supreme Court expansion to counter the corrupt Republican packing of the court.

Eliminating the electoral college for presidential elections.

Removing corrupt right wing judges from the federal bench (See: Aileen Cannon, Matthew Kacsmaryk, etc.)

Passing the bipartisan immigration reform and border security bill.

Climate change; EV chargers for apartment complexes to facilitate the move to an all electric urban fleet of private vehicles., carbon capture / removal, advanced wind, solar, and hydro augmented by next gen nuclear and strategic use of fossil fuels. (Related : Soil and clean water preservation.)

Economic justice.

Gun reform.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Take your negativity elsewhere

"I got nowhere else ta go." (Officer and a Gentleman)

 

[SevMax2]

Assuming that Donald Trump is prevented from seizing power, what should our top priorities be as a nation?

As evidenced from some of my other posts on this board, there are two things I think would immediately make America a much better place:

1. Legalize abortion
2. Build a national high-speed rail network

Use this thread to say what you think America should do after we don't have to spend all our energy fighting Donald Trump. Please keep it positive. Don't worry about politics. This is an aspirational wish list.

I don't have an issue with either suggestion, but I am curious as to what made those two particular issues paramount.

Whatever the outcome of this election, my own proposals include:

1. A full audit of the Federal Reserve System, one that is as transparent as possible.
2. A release of the Ghislaine Maxwell list, unredacted, and with anyone on the list, no matter who or what their partisan affiliation, liable for criminal prosecution and/or civil litigation.
3. Either abolish Selective Service and make the armed forces entirely voluntary (which would mean much better inducements to get recruiting numbers to acceptable levels for military readiness), or else make it gender neutral.
4. A real Equal Rights Amendment, which would be completely gender-neutral and also protect people's bodily autonomy in the process as well as protect people from discrimination for sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. Presumably the complaints of both sexes would then be more readily addressed.
5. Serious funding of nuclear power research, including fission, but especially fusion.
6. I addressed this elsewhere, but making Social Security and Medicare fully solvent, probably through higher taxes on wealthier Social Security recipients.
7. A major revision of the War Powers Act, with a mind toward the reduction of excessive, unnecessary military deployments. This would also at last end the authorization given originally to Bush that he used to wage endless war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and later Obama and Trump in Syria, Libya, etc. This will also improve our recruitment numbers, presumably.
8. Ending the Drug War at least, with legalization of marijuana, decriminalization of the harder drugs, the end of mandatory minimum sentences, and the full amnesty/pardon of all who are incarcerated in federal prisons for mere non-violent possession and minor trafficking (as opposed to heavy, cartel-level trafficking).
9. A "Medicaid For The Rest Of Us" plan that would basically put anyone not already covered by Medicare or private insurance on Medicaid and thus end the kind of income stipulations/qualifications that keep some folks too poor for regular insurance, but too rich for Medicaid.
10. Nationalization of the power grid...that is, all power companies would be public monopolies rather than private, for-profit corporations.
11. Major anti-trust action to break up the big tech firms and other extreme monopolies, including quite possibly the major agribusinesses.
12. Allowing full negotiation by both Medicare and Medicaid with drug companies to bring down pharmaceutical prices.
13. Repeal either Taft-Hartley or at least the right-to-work clause within it, thus ending right-to-work laws nationwide.
14. Penalties against China for violations of GATT and its one-side trade policies.
15. Ban inside trading by Congress.
16. Ban private equity firms from purchasing residential apartment complexes and private housing.
17. Expand student loan forgiveness to include anyone seeking small business loans, doing Peace Corps work, poll work/voter registration, and a number of other vocations that help their local communities, as well as anyone with at least partial custody of a minor child. For everyone else, adopt the Australian system, wherein a minimum salary of forty thousand per year is required to even have to start paying, and interest rates on it are literally non-existent.
18. Revive the Civilian Conservation Corps, with an eye toward providing fuller employment and teaching useful skills/trades to youth.
19. Protect Social Security and Medicare from looting and privatization by means of a Constitutional Amendment to that effect.
20. Increase revenue through a sumptuary tax, as initially proposed by none other than our Second President, John Adams. As long as it isn't prohibitive (we can't raise revenue by definition if it's prohibitive and that would kill useful industries), it could raise revenue from the wealthiest Americans and redistribute some wealth without hurting, for instance, small business owners whose income might technically be higher, but who put huge sums of that income back into their firms. You don't want to pay more of that tax? Just spend less on luxuries and put more into charity, savings, investments, etc.

Just some of my ideas, at any rate.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Obviously

Maybe you can teach me how to be more positive.

 

[stxjimmy]

Maybe you can teach me how to be more positive.

Not my job, I’m about to delete my posts on this thread, we’re detracting from someone else’s attempt at positivity, you should do the same

 

[Saint_Ann]

Not my job, I’m about to delete my posts on this thread, we’re detracting from someone else’s attempt at positivity, you should do the same

I thought we were making great progress. My negativity must have worn off on you.

 

[CherryCupcake]

The return of th Fairness Dextrin, abolished under the Reagan Administration, which argued the public airspace was a. common good so if you editorialized in one direction. (like Fox) then you had to givee equal and opposite time to the opposing point of view.

 

[jomar]

I don't have an issue with either suggestion, but I am curious as to what made those two particular issues paramount.

Whatever the outcome of this election, my own proposals include:

1. A full audit of the Federal Reserve System, one that is as transparent as possible.
2. A release of the Ghislaine Maxwell list, unredacted, and with anyone on the list, no matter who or what their partisan affiliation, liable for criminal prosecution and/or civil litigation.
3. Either abolish Selective Service and make the armed forces entirely voluntary (which would mean much better inducements to get recruiting numbers to acceptable levels for military readiness), or else make it gender neutral.
4. A real Equal Rights Amendment, which would be completely gender-neutral and also protect people's bodily autonomy in the process as well as protect people from discrimination for sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. Presumably the complaints of both sexes would then be more readily addressed.
5. Serious funding of nuclear power research, including fission, but especially fusion.
6. I addressed this elsewhere, but making Social Security and Medicare fully solvent, probably through higher taxes on wealthier Social Security recipients.
7. A major revision of the War Powers Act, with a mind toward the reduction of excessive, unnecessary military deployments. This would also at last end the authorization given originally to Bush that he used to wage endless war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and later Obama and Trump in Syria, Libya, etc. This will also improve our recruitment numbers, presumably.
8. Ending the Drug War at least, with legalization of marijuana, decriminalization of the harder drugs, the end of mandatory minimum sentences, and the full amnesty/pardon of all who are incarcerated in federal prisons for mere non-violent possession and minor trafficking (as opposed to heavy, cartel-level trafficking).
9. A "Medicaid For The Rest Of Us" plan that would basically put anyone not already covered by Medicare or private insurance on Medicaid and thus end the kind of income stipulations/qualifications that keep some folks too poor for regular insurance, but too rich for Medicaid.
10. Nationalization of the power grid...that is, all power companies would be public monopolies rather than private, for-profit corporations.
11. Major anti-trust action to break up the big tech firms and other extreme monopolies, including quite possibly the major agribusinesses.
12. Allowing full negotiation by both Medicare and Medicaid with drug companies to bring down pharmaceutical prices.
13. Repeal either Taft-Hartley or at least the right-to-work clause within it, thus ending right-to-work laws nationwide.
14. Penalties against China for violations of GATT and its one-side trade policies.
15. Ban inside trading by Congress.
16. Ban private equity firms from purchasing residential apartment complexes and private housing.
17. Expand student loan forgiveness to include anyone seeking small business loans, doing Peace Corps work, poll work/voter registration, and a number of other vocations that help their local communities, as well as anyone with at least partial custody of a minor child. For everyone else, adopt the Australian system, wherein a minimum salary of forty thousand per year is required to even have to start paying, and interest rates on it are literally non-existent.
18. Revive the Civilian Conservation Corps, with an eye toward providing fuller employment and teaching useful skills/trades to youth.
19. Protect Social Security and Medicare from looting and privatization by means of a Constitutional Amendment to that effect.
20. Increase revenue through a sumptuary tax, as initially proposed by none other than our Second President, John Adams. As long as it isn't prohibitive (we can't raise revenue by definition if it's prohibitive and that would kill useful industries), it could raise revenue from the wealthiest Americans and redistribute some wealth without hurting, for instance, small business owners whose income might technically be higher, but who put huge sums of that income back into their firms. You don't want to pay more of that tax? Just spend less on luxuries and put more into charity, savings, investments, etc.

Just some of my ideas, at any rate.

Appreciate your thoroughness but if it’s stressful or causes a time crunch it’s ok to dial it back a bit. But if it’s a fun outlet, have at it.

 

[MajorRewrite]

• complete overhaul of the healthcare system, modeled after (pick any of the high-rated systems from other countries) and hire expert management from that country to run our new system.
• 4-day work week
• Better/easier legal pathways for legal immigration from Central and South America
• Legalize drugs to eliminate the flow of money to cartels and gangs

 

[Saint_Ann]

I'm seeing a trend here where you lefties are all choosing issues that are important to yourselves and not for the best for the country. "What can big govment do for me?"